The present invention provides a new architecture of system-on-chip ultrasonic transducer array. It is based on fusion bond of two active wafers which have prefabricated CMOS integrated circuits and CMUT structures; precise thin-down of one wafer to form CMUT monocrystalline silicon membrane; and then to vertically connect CMUT array to CMOS IC layers underneath. This architecture can realize a high-density CMUT array with multiple layers of CMOS devices, such as all supporting CMOS ICs, to achieve a SOC solution. The present invention further provides a manufacturing method for above-mentioned SOC CMUT approach, and this manufacturing process can be realized in both 8 inch and 12-inch wafer manufacturing fabs. The disclosed manufacturing processes are more compatible with existing CMOS process flow, more cost-competitive for mass production.

A micromechanical sensor, including a micromechanical chip having a first micromechanical structure, a first evaluation chip, having a first application-specific integrated circuit, and a second evaluation chip having a second application-specific integrated circuit. The first evaluation chip and the micromechanical chip are situated in a stacked manner, the micromechanical chip being directly electrically conductively connected with the first evaluation chip and the first evaluation chip being directly electrically conductively connected with the second evaluation chip. The first application-specific integrated circuit primarily includes analog circuit elements and the second application-specific circuit primarily includes digital circuit elements.

A MEMS accelerometer includes proof masses that move in-phase in response to a sensed linear acceleration. Self-test drive circuitry imparts an out-of-phase movement onto the proof masses. The motion of the proof masses in response to the linear acceleration and the self-test movement is sensed as a sense signal on common sense electrodes. Processing circuitry extracts from a linear acceleration signal corresponding to the in-phase movement due to linear acceleration and a self-test signal corresponding to the out-of-phase movement due to the self-test drive signal.

A chip-scale coherent lidar system includes a master oscillator integrated on a chip to simultaneously provide a signal for transmission and a local oscillator (LO) signal. The system also includes a beam steering device to direct an output signal obtained from the signal for transmission out of the system, and a combiner on the chip to combine the LO signal and a return signal resulting from a reflection of the output signal by a target. One or more photodetectors obtain a result of interference between the LO signal and the return signal to determine information about the target.

A crossover circuit, disposed within a sound producing device including a first sound producing cell driven by a first driving signal and a second sound producing cell driven by a second driving signal, includes a first filter receiving an input signal at an input terminal of the first filter, a first subtraction circuit, and a second filter coupled between the output terminal of the first filter and the second input terminal of the first subtraction circuit. A first input terminal of the first subtraction circuit is coupled to the input terminal of the first filter; a second input terminal of the first subtraction circuit is coupled to an output terminal of the first filter. The crossover circuit produces the first driving signal and the second driving signal according to a first output signal of the first subtraction circuit and a second output signal of the first filter respectively.

The MEMS actuator is formed by a body, which surrounds a cavity and by a deformable structure, which is suspended on the cavity and is formed by a movable portion and by a plurality of deformable elements. The deformable elements are arranged consecutively to each other, connect the movable portion to the body and are each subject to a deformation. The MEMS actuator further comprises at least one plurality of actuation structures, which are supported by the deformable elements and are configured to cause a translation of the movable portion greater than the deformation of each deformable element. The actuation structures each have a respective first piezoelectric region.

A sound producing device includes a first sound producing cell, driven by a first driving signal and configured to produce a first acoustic sound on a first audio band, and a second sound producing cell, driven by a second driving signal and configured to produce a second acoustic sound on a second audio band different from the first audio band. A first membrane of the first sound producing cell and a second membrane of the second sound producing cell are Micro Electro Mechanical System fabricated membranes. The first audio band is upper bounded by a first maximum frequency; the second audio band is upper bounded by a second maximum frequency. A first resonance frequency of the first membrane is higher than the first maximum frequency of the first driving signal. A second resonance frequency of the second membrane is higher than the second maximum frequency of the second driving signal.

A microelectromechanical membrane transducer includes: a supporting structure; a cavity formed in the supporting structure; a membrane coupled to the supporting structure so as to cover the cavity on one side; a cantilever damper, which is fixed to the supporting structure around the perimeter of the membrane and extends towards the inside of the membrane at a distance from the membrane; and a damper piezoelectric actuator set on the cantilever damper and configured so as to bend the cantilever damper towards the membrane in response to an electrical actuation signal.

The present disclosure relates to a system for detecting movement of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device. The system uses a drive voltage signal source for generating a low frequency drive voltage signal for driving the MEMS device. An excitation signal source may be used for generating an excitation signal which is also applied to the MEMS device. The excitation signal has a frequency which is above a physical response capability of the MEMS device, such that operation of the MEMS device is not significantly affected by the excitation signal. A sensing impedance is used to help generate a signal which is responsive to the capacitance of the MEMS device. The capacitance of the MEMS device changes in response to movement of the MEMS device. An output subsystem is provided which responds to changes sensed by the sensing impedance, and which produces an output voltage signal. A filter filters the output voltage signal to produce a filtered output voltage signal. The filtered output voltage signal is indicative of a position of the MEMS device.

Microphones including a housing defining a cavity, a plurality of conductors positioned within the cavity, at least one dielectric bar positioned within the cavity, and a transducer diaphragm. The conductors are structured to move in response to pressure changes while the housing remains fixed. A first conductor generates first electrical signals responsive to the pressure changes resulting from changes in an atmospheric pressure. A second conductor generates second electrical signals responsive to the pressure changes resulting from acoustic activity. The dielectric bar is fixed with respect to the cavity and remains fixed under the pressure changes. The dielectric bar is adjacent to at least one of the conductors. In response to an applied pressure that is an atmospheric pressure and/or an acoustic pressure, the transducer diaphragm exerts a force on the housing and displaces at least a portion of conductors with respect to the dielectric bar.